# Sula, Montana

Sula is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. It is named after the community of Sula, which it encompasses, and was established about 2010, prior to that year's census. The population of the CDP was 37 at the 2010 census.

## History

The area was originally called Ross's Hole from Alexander Ross, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader who had traveled through the area in spring 1824. In 1889, settlers named the post office after Ursula (Sula for short) Thompson, purportedly the first non-Indian child born in Ross's Hole.

## Geography

Sula is located along U.S. Route 93 in southern Ravalli County. It lies along the East Fork of the Bitterroot River at the west end of Ross' Hole, a wide valley surrounded by mountains. It is 35 miles (56 km) north along U.S. 93 to Hamilton, the county seat, and 58 miles (93 km) south over Lost Trail Pass to Salmon, Idaho.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km$^2$), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km$^2$) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km$^2$), or 1.09%, is water.

### Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sula has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Climate data for Sula 14 NE, Montana 1991–2020 normals: 5155ft (1571m) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 51 (11) | 56 (13) | 70 (21) | 79 (26) | 90 (32) | 97 (36) | 101 (38) | 97 (36) | 96 (36) | 87 (31) | 67 (19) | 54 (12) | 101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 45.4 (7.4) | 49.7 (9.8) | 59.5 (15.3) | 70.6 (21.4) | 80.9 (27.2) | 88.1 (31.2) | 94.0 (34.4) | 92.5 (33.6) | 88.6 (31.4) | 75.1 (23.9) | 58.2 (14.6) | 41.9 (5.5) | 95.0 (35.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) | 35.5 (1.9) | 43.1 (6.2) | 50.4 (10.2) | 61.3 (16.3) | 70.0 (21.1) | 81.3 (27.4) | 80.7 (27.1) | 69.7 (20.9) | 54.2 (12.3) | 37.8 (3.2) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 53.7 (12.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 20.8 (−6.2) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 37.7 (3.2) | 46.4 (8.0) | 53.3 (11.8) | 60.7 (15.9) | 59.5 (15.3) | 50.9 (10.5) | 40.1 (4.5) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 19.4 (−7.0) | 39.3 (4.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10.1 (−12.2) | 11.9 (−11.2) | 19.5 (−6.9) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 36.7 (2.6) | 40.1 (4.5) | 38.4 (3.6) | 32.2 (0.1) | 26.0 (−3.3) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 9.9 (−12.3) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −18.7 (−28.2) | −15.8 (−26.6) | −3.9 (−19.9) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 28.3 (−2.1) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 6.6 (−14.1) | −5.5 (−20.8) | −17.0 (−27.2) | −24.7 (−31.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −35 (−37) | −39 (−39) | −24 (−31) | −2 (−19) | 12 (−11) | 21 (−6) | 26 (−3) | 22 (−6) | 16 (−9) | −15 (−26) | −21 (−29) | −28 (−33) | −39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.52 (39) | 1.38 (35) | 1.73 (44) | 1.72 (44) | 2.57 (65) | 2.87 (73) | 1.27 (32) | 1.08 (27) | 1.62 (41) | 1.48 (38) | 1.77 (45) | 1.81 (46) | 20.82 (529) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 15.80 (40.1) | 17.00 (43.2) | 14.30 (36.3) | 6.30 (16.0) | 2.00 (5.1) | 0.90 (2.3) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.40 (1.0) | 2.40 (6.1) | 10.30 (26.2) | 19.00 (48.3) | 88.4 (224.6) |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins) ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Sula 3 ENE, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, 1955-2020 extremes: 4475ft (1364m) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) | 67 (19) | 74 (23) | 83 (28) | 90 (32) | 95 (35) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 92 (33) | 89 (32) | 72 (22) | 59 (15) | 100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.5 (9.7) | 54.3 (12.4) | 64.9 (18.3) | 72.1 (22.3) | 80.5 (26.9) | 87.0 (30.6) | 93.0 (33.9) | 92.2 (33.4) | 87.1 (30.6) | 78.8 (26.0) | 61.0 (16.1) | 48.2 (9.0) | 92.3 (33.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.3 (1.3) | 39.2 (4.0) | 48.2 (9.0) | 55.0 (12.8) | 63.9 (17.7) | 71.9 (22.2) | 82.2 (27.9) | 81.3 (27.4) | 73.2 (22.9) | 58.2 (14.6) | 42.8 (6.0) | 32.7 (0.4) | 56.9 (13.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.6 (−4.7) | 26.8 (−2.9) | 35.0 (1.7) | 41.0 (5.0) | 48.6 (9.2) | 55.7 (13.2) | 62.5 (16.9) | 60.8 (16.0) | 53.5 (11.9) | 42.5 (5.8) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 22.2 (−5.4) | 42.0 (5.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.9 (−10.6) | 14.3 (−9.8) | 21.9 (−5.6) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 33.3 (0.7) | 39.6 (4.2) | 42.7 (5.9) | 40.3 (4.6) | 33.8 (1.0) | 26.8 (−2.9) | 20.0 (−6.7) | 11.8 (−11.2) | 27.0 (−2.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.0 (−25.0) | −9.7 (−23.2) | 3.8 (−15.7) | 15.4 (−9.2) | 20.0 (−6.7) | 28.5 (−1.9) | 32.9 (0.5) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 20.8 (−6.2) | 10.9 (−11.7) | −2.9 (−19.4) | −11.0 (−23.9) | −21.2 (−29.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) | −46 (−43) | −24 (−31) | 3 (−16) | 10 (−12) | 20 (−7) | 21 (−6) | 14 (−10) | 10 (−12) | −10 (−23) | −30 (−34) | −45 (−43) | −46 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.72 (18) | 0.83 (21) | 1.04 (26) | 1.76 (45) | 2.06 (52) | 2.73 (69) | 1.19 (30) | 1.07 (27) | 1.25 (32) | 1.30 (33) | 1.28 (33) | 0.99 (25) | 16.22 (411) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.9 (15) | 3.2 (8.1) | 4.6 (12) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.5 (1.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.5 (1.3) | 4.2 (11) | 6.1 (15) | 26.8 (68.3) |
| Source 1: NOAA (Alder 17 S snowfall) ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins) ||||||||||||||